足下

Chinese

		foot	under
simp. and trad. (足下)		足	下

Pronunciation

Rime
Character	足	下
Reading #	2/2	1/2
Initial (聲)	精 (13)	匣 (33)
Final (韻)	燭 (8)	麻 (98)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	II
Fanqie	即玉切	胡雅切
Baxter	tsjowk	haeX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡sɨok̚/	/ɦˠaX/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡siok̚/	/ɦᵚaX/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡siok̚/	/ɣaX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/t͡suawk̚/	/ɦaɨX/
Li Rong	/t͡siok̚/	/ɣaX/
Wang Li	/t͡sĭwok̚/	/ɣaX/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡si̯wok̚/	/ɣaX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zu	xià
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zuk1	haa6

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	足	下
Reading #	3/3	1/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	zú	xià
Middle Chinese	‹ tsjowk ›	‹ hæX ›
Old Chinese	/*[ts]ok/	/*ɡˁraʔ/
English	foot	down
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	足	下
Reading #	2/2	1/2
No.	17925	13445
Phonetic component	足	下
Rime group	屋	魚
Rime subdivision	0	0
Corresponding MC rime	足	下
Old Chinese	/*ʔsoɡ/	/*ɡraːʔ/

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zúxià

  (Zhuyin): ㄗㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄚˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zuk¹ haa⁶
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): chiok-hā

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zúxià
    • Zhuyin: ㄗㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄚˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: zúsià
    • Wade–Giles: tsu²-hsia⁴
    • Yale: dzú-syà
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzwushiah
    • Palladius: цзуся (czusja)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡su³⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zuk¹ haa⁶
    • Yale: jūk hah
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzuk⁷ haa⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: zug¹ ha⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʊk̚⁵ haː²²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiok-hā
    • Tâi-lô: tsiok-hā
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ciokha
    • IPA (Xiamen): /t͡siɔk̚³²⁻⁴ ha²²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡siɔk̚⁵⁻²⁴ ha⁴¹/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡siɔk̚³²⁻⁵ ha²²/
    • IPA (Taipei): /t͡siɔk̚³²⁻⁴ ha³³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡siɔk̚³²⁻⁴ ha³³/

---

• Middle Chinese: tsjowk haeX

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ts]ok  ɡˤraʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ʔsoɡ  ɡraːʔ/

Noun

足下

1. (literal) underfoot

Synonyms

• 腳下／脚下 (jiǎoxià)

Pronoun

足下

1. (literary, polite) you

Usage notes

Used in instances where a subordinate is addressing a senior or when someone addresses a person of the same rank. Used mostly in letters.

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
足	下
あし Grade: 1	もと Grade: 1
kun'yomi

Alternative spellings
足元 足許

Compound of 足 (ashi, “foot, feet”) +‎ 元 (moto, “base; foundation; origin”). Note that the moto portion can be spelled variously as 元, 下, or 許.^[1][2]

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あしもと [àshímóꜜtò] (Nakadaka – [3])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [a̠ɕimo̞to̞]

Noun

足(あし)下(もと) • (ashimoto) 

1. at one's feet, underfoot, the ground

   地震(じしん)で足下(あしもと)が揺(ゆ)れた。

   Jishin de ashimoto ga yureta.

   The ground underfoot shook from the earthquake.

   • 1999 September 23, “泥(どろ)に潜(ひそ)み棲(す)むもの [The Thing That Hides in Mud]”, in Vol.5, Konami:

     足(あし)下(もと)がドロドロと溶(と)けだしたら、こいつが現(あらわ)れる前(ぜん)兆(ちょう)だ。

     Ashimoto ga dorodoro to tokedashitara, koitsu ga arawareru zenchō da.

     When the ground starts dissolving into mud, it means that that thing is emerging as we speak.

2. the bottom of the foot
3. a foothold, one's footing

   この事業(じぎょう)では、足下(あしもと)を固(かた)めてから、やっと発動(はつどう)できるようになります。

   Kono jigyō de wa, ashimoto o katamete kara, yatto hatsudō dekiru yō ni narimasu.

   We will finally be able to get moving once we have established a firm footing on this project.

4. gait, pace, step

   足(あし)元注(もとちゅう)意(い)

   ashimoto chūi

   Watch your step (on signs)

5. someone's surroundings, the nearby
6. recent events

   足下(あしもと)の業績(ぎょうせき)は好調(こうちょう)に推移(すいい)している。

   Ashimoto no gyōseki wa kōchō ni suii shite iru.

   Recent earnings have been trending favourably.

7. a post in the structure of a house: a vertical support running from the foundation to the roof joist
8. (theater) hakama, trousers, leg coverings in general
9. (theater) footlights in the backstage area to illuminate walkways
10. during the rice harvest, any grain that falls at one's feet
11. a fin, as of a fish, a seal, or similar marine animal

Synonyms

Synonyms

• (the ground): 地面(じめん) (jimen)
• (where one stands): 立場(たちば) (tachiba)
• (foothold, footing): 足場(あしば) (ashiba)
• (gait, how one walks): 歩(ある)き方(かた) (arukikata)
• (step, how one places their feet): 足付(あしつ)き (ashitsuki)
• (recent events): 最近(さいきん) (saikin) (more immediate), 近頃(ちかごろ) (chikagoro) (less formal)
• (structural post): 柱(はしら) (hashira), 通(とお)し柱(ばしら) (tōshibashira)
• (leg coverings in general): 履物(はきもの) (hakimono)
• (fin): 鰭(ひれ) (hire)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
足	下
あ Grade: 1	もと Grade: 1
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
足元

Compound of 足 (a, “foot, feet”, older combining form of modern ashi) +‎ 元 (moto, “base; foundation; origin”).^[1][2]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [a̠mo̞to̞]

Noun

足(あ)下(もと) • (amoto) 

1. (archaic) at one's feet, underfoot
2. (archaic) one's family and status, where one stands in the world

Idioms

Idioms

• 足下正(あもとただ)し (amoto tadashi, “to be of proper breeding, to have a solid pedigree”)
• 千里(せんり)の行(こう)も足下(そっか)に始(はじ)まる (senri no kō mo sokka ni hajimaru, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”)

Synonyms

Synonyms

• (family status): 家柄(いえがら) (iegara)
• (personal status, identity): 身分(みぶん) (mibun)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
足	下
そく > そっ Grade: 1	か Grade: 1
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 足下 (tsjowk hæ^X, literally “foot + down, beneath”). Compare modern Cantonese reading zuk¹ haa⁶.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) そっか [sóꜜkkà] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [so̞k̚ka̠]

Noun

足(そっ)下(か) • (sokka) 

1. at one's feet, underfoot
2. an epithet used in written correspondence to show respect to the addressee
3. a pair of high clogs, worn in rainy weather

Synonyms

Synonyms

• (rain clogs): 足駄(あしだ) (ashida)

Pronoun

足(そっ)下(か) • (sokka) 

1. (formal, archaic) second-person pronoun: you

   Used to refer to someone of similar or lower status than the speaker. From the sense of being nearby in status.

References

1. Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
2. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN